So You Want to Read YA?: Guest Post from Julie Cross (Author of Tempest)

April 9, 2012 |

Today’s “So You Want To Read YA?” guest post comes from Julie Cross, author of the time travel romance novel Tempest.

Julie Cross lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She never considered writing until May or 2009 and hasn’t gone a day without it since. Julie’s website is http://juliecross.blogspot.com/ and she tweets @JulieCross1980.

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You’re out there. I know you are. I’ve seen you in the gym, peddling away on the stationary bike, a book open in front of you, towel around your neck. And what’s that you’re reading…Hunger Games? Or is it a John Green novel?

Wait…aren’t those books for teenagers?

What happened to Jodi Picoult and Janet Evanovich? What happened to cook books and self help magazines? What happened to steamy women’s romance novels with a Fabio look-alike on the cover?

Who cares what happened! Whatever it is, I like it. And yeah, I’m an author who writes for teens so I can stroll through the YA section at Barnes and Noble with a little more confidence and justification than the other thirty or forty something moms who love to read YA books, but really, lots of people want you there. Trust me when I say this, and it’s kind of insider info so try not to rat out the source, but publishers and authors depend, yes depend, on YA book sales from middle-aged mothers like myself.

I can’t remember exactly what made me start writing, it’s a big question I get asked all the time and only answer with, “I didn’t begin writing until May of 2009.” I was twenty nine and a mom of three who just happened to love Harry Potter, read all four Twilight novels in a week, cried and gapped over the awesomeness that is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Anyway, I’m half-convinced that I only started writing because I wanted to feel like I had a good reason to hang out in the teen section of the library. Okay, not hang out. Just check out…books. And…uh…research…for my book.

I tried to read some grown up books and I did like them, but most of them didn’t make me think and feel as much as the YA books. I’m sure that could just be me, but like I said, I’ve seen you guys. I know you’re out there. So, today, I’m sending forth my most important message yet: Fear not. Step into the YA section with confidence. You belong there just as much as those adolescents giggling at you behind your back.

My data regarding moms reading YA fiction is not solely based on observations from stationary bike riders in physical fitness center. I actually talk to lots of moms everyday including my sister, cousins, aunts and most of them started reading YA with a big hit series that was nearly impossible to ignore—Twilight, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc. But after those books, they were totally clueless as to which YA to choose next. I have an excellent system and track record for recommending YA books to moms because even though I do read them all the time and have for years, I’m still picky about what I like. My mom perspective is not identical to the teen perspective.

My oldest child has just begun middle school this year, so I don’t have an actual teenager yet, but when I do, I feel like I’m more prepared to use books to help discuss things openly with them. Reading YA has helped me to remember what it’s like to be that age…it’s so, so hard. And we need to be able to sympathize with our children in order to help them make the right choices. And maybe your situation isn’t identical to mine. Let’s say your children (child) are very young, a long way from the teen years and you’re up to your ears and elbows in laundry, finger paint, crumbs on the kitchen floor, walls that never look white, and you just need a world to escape to that’s so different than your own—this is what reading YA can give you.

My family has been so supportive throughout my publication process, they’ve all been reading YA like crazy to give my genre a leg-up, so I’ve been giving suggestions like crazy. Here’s a little list I’ve compiled to help you choose a YA novel beyond the big name books that have crossed genres in the past several years.

I Liked Twilight, So What Next?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (also the sequels Linger and Forever)
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (lots of NON Twi-hards LOVE this series, too, including me)
Tempest by Julie Cross (had to slide that in)
Across The Universe by Beth Revis (also the sequel A Million Suns)
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

I Like Jodi Picoult or Nicholas Sparks and Don’t Mind Tear-Jerkers

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (might even please the literary fans!)
Before I Die by Jenny Downham (This is British…and I LOVE a good English book)
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Hunger Games Was Great, But I’m Not Usually Into The Dystopian Stuff

(aka—Dystopian for people who might not like Dystopian)

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I Like Fun Chic-lit Type Books, like Something Borrowed or Nanny Diaries

Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
The Future Of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Coming-of-Age type Books Along The Lines of Catcher In The Rye

(quirky characters and large doses of teenage humiliation)

Looking For Alaska by John Green
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky
The Edumacation Of Jay Baker by Jay Clark
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (can you tell I love John Green?)

I Want To Read YA, But I Like Edgy, Issue Books And Darker Themes

Story Of A Girl by Sara Zarr
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Winter Girls by Laurie Halse Anderson, also Speak—her most widely known title
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
Clean by Amy Reed
How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr

There you have it! Some of my personal favorites and because I can only read so much and there’s tons of YA I didn’t mention here, maybe we’ll get some more suggestions in the comment section. So, go forth and read those teen books, strut into that YA section of the bookstore like you own the place. And shamelessly enjoy the wonderful, ever-growing genre that is young adult literature.

Julie Cross’s debut novel Tempest, published January 17, 2012 by St. Martin’s Griffin, is the first in a series by the same name.

After his girlfriend Holly is fatally shot during a violent struggle, nineteen-year-old Jackson uses his supernatural abilities and travels back in time two years, where he falls in love with Holly all over again, learns that his father is a spy, and discovers powerful enemies of time who will stop at nothing to recruit him for their own purposes (description via WorldCat).

So You Want To Read YA?: Guest Post by Laura Arnold

April 2, 2012 |

This week’s “So You Want to Read YA?” comes from one of my friends from college who has made a name for herself in the book world, Laura Arnold.

Laura Arnold is a senior editor at Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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I was chatting with my YA editor colleagues about the task of writing this blog post, and the more we tossed around titles, the more we became panicked. So many good books! Where do you start? Where do you even think of starting? So I decided to look at a few distinct categories…and my choices flowed quickly from there.

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Start with the beginning: When I think of the origin of “young adult literature,” my brain jumps instinctively to The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967) and I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier (1977). To suggest that these novels and these alone are the beginning of YA is an entirely unscholarly remark, of course (also, sacrilegious in that I’ve omitted Judy Blume). Yet, read today, each of these stories crackles with the same pent-up energy with which they electrified readers decades ago.

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Start with the bestsellers: First it was Twilight. Then it was The Hunger Games. Right now I think it might be John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. I can’t get on the subway without witnessing an adult absorbed in one of these YA smash hits. These books aren’t bestsellers just because of their marketing campaigns. Their success speaks to one element above all: passionate word of mouth.

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Start with the perennials: Two titles spring to mind for me here as books that will never stop being talked about: Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, and The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. Conceptually they’re quite different, though both seemingly dark. Thirteen Reasons Why is about teen suicide, The Book Thief about the Holocaust. Yet each is powerful, unforgettable and, ultimately, life-affirming.

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Or start with the fun: Maybe you just want to kick off your shoes and curl up with something ridiculously enjoyable. What’s your poison? Werewolves? Try Shiver or Nightshade. Angels? Allow me to plug Immortal City (which, full disclosure, I edited). Fantasy? How about Graceling? Doctor Who fan? You’ll love Across the Universe. Rom-com? Float up into the more thoughtful world of Sarah Dessen.

The point is, YA has something for everyone, young adult or not. There’s a rich trove waiting to be discovered. Dig in, and enjoy!

So You Want to Read YA?: Guest Post from Liz Burns

March 26, 2012 |

This week’s “So You Want To Read YA?” post comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Liz Burns. Here’s how she defines herself:

I blog about young adult books, TV, and other things that capture my fancy at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy over at School Library Journal. My favorite book is Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and my favorite TV series is Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I have also been known to enjoy House Hunters International (what’s with the granite countertop obsession?) and live-tweeting shows like Toddlers & Tiaras and 19 Kids & Counting. Liz tweets @LizB.

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“There weren’t any YA books when I was growing up!”

Yes, there were.

Maybe your local library didn’t have the books, or didn’t shelve them in a way that was easy to find.

Maybe your bookstore didn’t carry the title.

But they were there.

For those who want to take a look at what some of those books may have been, start with Lizzie Skurnick’s Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading. I’d also point out two personal favorite authors: Ellen Emerson White and Norma Johnston.

What’s different about today’s YA books? There are more. They are easier to find. There is less shaming with reading YA (that is, less people telling thirteen year olds, implicitly or explicitly, that smart kids skip to adult books and don’t read those YA books). It’s easier to find YA books for older teens. Publishers are more aware that the over-sixteen crowd, in addition to reading adult books that show the world they are part of, also want books that reflect their lives and fears, hopes and dreams.

So, where to start with YA? To be honest, the books I recommend may be ones that you read and then say, “wait, what? That’s YA? But, well, that’s just a good book that happens to have a teenager as a main character.” Exactly; trying to define YA is actually pretty difficult. Name any factor – teen main character, character growth, coming of age – and you’ll also be able to name an adult book with those factors, also. Name any factor exclusive to adult books – sex, drugs, rock’n’roll – and you’ll quickly find a YA book about those things. It may be a bit of a cop out, but my definition right now is a YA book is a book that has been published YA. Once that simple matter of publication classification is out of the way, does it really matter? What matters is, is it a good story? Is it one I’ll like? Is there something in there I’ll connect with?

So here are the top books and authors I recommend starting with:

Sometimes a good book into YA is one with older characters: try The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta. Marchetta is brilliant at writing about real life: messy lives, the complications of family, the love between family and friends. Tom has dropped out of university, disconnected from old friends, ignored his family. When he has no place else to go, he moves in with his Aunt Georgie, who has her own problems to deal with. Tom and Georgie’s world was ripped apart by the death of Tom’s Uncle Joe, Georgie’s younger brother. In the years since his death, both spiraled into isolation and grief, and now, together, they are ready to accept that they can have a future with happiness and not betray the loss they suffered.

OK. Sounds like all YA is serious stuff. Hardly! Spend some time with Ruby Oliver, introduced in Ruby Oliver was first introduced to the world in The Boyfriend List (15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs and me, Ruby Oliver) by E. Lockhart. Ruby is trying to manage high school, boyfriends, best friends, ex-best friends, ex-boyfriends (and the complication of ex-best friends dating ex-boyfriends) and panic attacks brought on by the stress of it all. Ruby is funny, wry, smart, and OK, maybe a bit boy crazy at times, but hey, who hasn’t been?

Another way into YA is to read present day YA set in a time when the reader was a teen. One of this year’s best books is The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth. It’s a coming of age story set in the late 1980s/early 1990s in Montana. Cameron’s parents died the same day she kissed a girl, and those two things become linked; she explores her sexuality in a time and a place where being gay is neither cool nor popular nor accepted, and when her religious aunt finds out about Cam she sends Cam to a religious school to be “fixed.”

Sometimes, YA is called a “genre” and I’m not a fan of that term because I tend to think of genre as things like mystery, horror, or fantasy. YA includes all those genres, and what better way to get into YA than to find something in a genre you already read?

If you like fantasy (especially that of the Games of Thrones variety), read Megan Whalen Turner’s The Thief series, starting with The Thief. Gen is a master thief, in prison not because he was caught stealing the King’s seal but because he was arrogant enough to boast about it publicly. Now he’s offered a deal: help the King’s Magus steal something valuable from another country, get out of jail. Gen says yes, trying to figure out how to make this unlikely offer work for him. Gen finds himself in the middle of three countries on the edge of war; this series is full of politics, fights, battles, and, best of all, The Thief, Gen who is exactly what he says he is – and nothing like he says he is. Once you’ve read through this series, turn to Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere books, starting with Finnikin of the Rock, about exiles trying to recover their country in a world with few allies and fewer resources.

What about horror? Look no further than the Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey. The Monstrumologist is about horror without vampires or werewolves; it’s set in the 19th century and follows young Will Henry and his mentor/guardian, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, a “monstrumologist” who seriously studies those creatures others call “monsters”. The problem with studying monsters is, well, they are monsters: the bodies pile up and it’s not pretty. The Monstrumologist series is Stephen King by way of H.P. Lovecraft, and after reading these books you’ll be sleeping with the doors locked and the lights on.

Some like their horror to have more of a supernatural thrill; try Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. Chloe left town two years ago, following the accidental drowning of a classmate. Chloe’s older sister, the irresistible Ruby, convinces Chloe to return home. Guess who shows up at a party? How can a dead girl still be alive? Does Ruby know? What is going on?

More a fan of literary fiction? YA has that, also. Each year, YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Assocation) awards the Michael L. Printz Award to the best book written for teens. The entire basis for this award is literary merit. This year, the Printz went to Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. Some things don’t come back; like Cullen’s cousin Oslo, dead from an overdose. Some things may come back, like the woodpecker that people believed was extinct until one self-important and pr-savvy professor came to town. In the town of Lily, Arkansas, eager, dream filled teens leave town, sure of bigger and better things that await them, and return because of heart break or sick parents or accidents. Lily, where things come back . . . . sometimes. Will Cullen’s missing younger brother be one of those things that come back?

Disclaimer: a few years back, I was on the Printz committee. The book we selected? Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. It is a brilliant book, with multiple narratives, heartbreak, hope, and love. I’ll share the blurb the committee put together for it: “Haunted by the past,Taylor Markham reluctantly leads the students of the Jellicoe School in their secret territory wars against the Townies and the Cadets. Marchetta’s lyrical writing evokes the Australian landscape in a suspenseful tale of raw emotion, romance, humor and tragedy.”

I would go on and on, but I suspect Kelly is already saying “enough! We don’t want a tl:dr post!” But trust me… once you try out these books, you’ll want more!

So You Want To Read YA?: Guest Post from Kathleen Peacock (author of Hemlock)

March 19, 2012 |

This week’s “So You Wanna Read YA?” post comes to us from Kathleen Peacock.

Kathleen spent most of her teen years writing short stories. She put her writing dreams on hold while attending college but rediscovered them when office life started leaving her with an allergy to cubicles. You can learn more about her on her website at www.kathleenpeacock.com or follow her on Twitter @kathleenpeacock.

Without further ado, let’s date some YA books, shall we?

Trying any new genre is a bit like jumping into the dating pool: you cautiously wade in, make a few missed connections, and wonder if you’ll ever find “the one.” And that’s all it usually takes. Once you click with one book, the whole genre seems less intimidating and becomes an awesome all-you-can-eat buffet.

(I realize I’m mixing metaphors. Just roll with it.)

To help you make a love connection with the YA title of your dreams (see? we’re back to dating), I’ve taken three books that I frequently thrust upon non-YA readers and written online dating profiles for each.

Do any strike your fancy? If so, you can pick up the lucky book(s) at your local library or bookstore. Try taking them out for coffee and see where things go.

Nickname: A_Great_Perhaps
Real Name: Looking for Alaska
Pick up line: “I’d finally had enough of chasing after a ghost who did not want to be discovered.”
My perfect date: A small coffee shop filled with misunderstood people and corduroy.
My friends would describe me as: Shy and a little too earnest for my own good but my crooked grin and combination of innocence and smarts makes people fall hard and fast.
About Me: There’s no point in denying it: I’ve got a thing for manic pixie dream girls. If you’re misunderstood and angry yet adorable, let’s hang out. Self-destructive girls and thoughtful guys please do apply. And remember: a bazillion nerdfighters can’t be wrong.
I’m perfect for you if you like: That blond girl in Almost Famous, thoughtful, self-deprecating guys, getting your heart ripped out in the best possible way

Nickname: TheGirlOnFire

Real Name: The Hunger Games
Pick up line: “May the odds be ever in your favor!”
My perfect date: Hunting. I’ll shoot a squirrel. You cook it.
My friends would describe me as: I actually only have one friend. He’s short on words but good at setting snares.
About Me: I’m only here because the Capitol thought my life wasn’t hellish enough and signed me up for online dating.
I’m perfect for you if you like: Lots of action, Survivor, doomed romances with a body count, commentaries on reality TV, voyeurism, and consumerism

Nickname: ItsNotAll$andc@stlesAndN!njas

Real Name: Going Bovine
Pick up line: “Someone needs to push the reset button on this planet.”
My perfect date: Trying to track down an obscure band which may or may not exist. Or hooking up with punk rock angels. I’m not picky.
My friends would describe me as: My friends are a hypochondriac and a garden gnome. Both may or may not actually exist outside my mind. Either way, you don’t want to know how they’d describe me.
About Me: I’ll never make sense and you’ll love me that way.
I’m perfect for you if you like: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, that claymation episode of Community, movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Stranger than Fiction, conversations that make no sense.

***

Kathleen Peacock’s debut novel Hemlock will be published by HarperCollins May 8. Hemlock follows high school senior Mackenzie as she attempts to solve the mystery of her best friend’s murder in a town affected by the werewolf virus (description via WorldCat).

Because Kathleen has a soft spot for libraries, she’s got a great give away going on now for librarians. Check out this blog post for the easy details on how you could win one of two pre-orders of Hemlock.

So You Want to Read YA?: Jen’s picks

March 12, 2012 |

As a teen librarian, I tend to get asked about YA literature a lot, whether by friends my own age looking to expand beyond Twilight and The Hunger Games, by younger cousins in high school and curious about the newest releases on the shelves, or by patrons I encounter daily at work. But its not just as simple as handing them the latest New York Times bestseller. Every patron and every individual has different tastes and may be in the mood for a different book depending on circumstances or interests. That’s the beauty of my job and why I love reading, recommending, and blogging. When I think of the best YA fiction out there (and I’m not necessarily talking about award-winners either, although some of my choices are adorned with nice shiny medals), I can see a few different categories forming:

World-Building: In these books, the author creates a new world with words. The world can be full of lush descriptions and vivid settings, as in high fantasy or fairy tale retellings. Or it can just be our world, with a few tweaks and adjustments here and there.

Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness: In Todd Hewitt’s world, “Noise” has led men to hear everything that others think, and females are nonexistent. But when Todd stumbles upon that most foreign of creatures, a girl, when he flees his village for his life, he discovers a nefarious plot underfoot, spearheaded by one of the most evil, intriguing, and multi-layered villains in literature, Mayor Prentiss. In addition to Ness’ unique textual depiction of “Noise,” the details of the world of Chaos Walking (The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men) are well-developed and the plot is a nonstop chase scene.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale: Hale’s writing is lush and gorgeous, filled with stunning, vivid descriptions. The dual kingdoms of Kildenree and Bayern become vivid, real places under her pen, and the simplest descriptions of forest trees or flowers bloom to life. She expands the simple fairy tale of the goose girl in this first book of The Books of Bayern series and in the process creates a strong, capable heroine in Isi.

Heart: Some books leave you with more than just a warm fuzzy feeling. Some books truly work their way into your heart, with endearing characters who stand the test of time and live on in your mind, becoming real people, not just words on a page.

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zuzak: Ed Kennedy is sent a playing card, an ace, with three addresses are scribbled on that playing card. Soon, Ed discovers that he has been called upon for a mission, expected to make a difference in the lives of the people at these addresses, to get to know them and find out how he can better their lives, whether in small or big ways. From the Ace of Diamonds through the Ace of Hearts, Ed travels throughout his run-down town, deciphering the code of the playing cards and finding out more about both himself and the people around him. While most people are more familiar with Zuzak’s The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger worked its way into my heart, with its depiction of Ed’s working class life, the vivid details of the people he helps along the way, and the friends who orbit around him.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. Marcelo Sandoval is somewhere on the autism spectrum, and loves his school, where he will soon be entrusted with taking care of the ponies in the stable. But when his father orders that Marcelo work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer, Marcelo’s orderly world is upended. Meetings with Jasmine, a kindhearted coworker, and Wendel, a self-centered boy his age, show him the spectrum of “real world” behavior, and a mystery surrounding a picture found in a file soon brings him out of his shell more than he was anticipating. Filled with achingly real characters, issues of faith, identity, and growth, Marcelo touched my heart more than any other book in recent years.

Originality of plot: These books are complex, original, and compelling, remarkable for the author’s imagination, twists and turns of plot, and an utterly unique vision.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray: 16-year-old Cameron has just been told that he has mad cow disease. That’s heavy enough news. But then add the facts that he keeps hallucinating an angel, a garden gnome has come to life, and his new companion is a dwarf–well,you have to question Cameron’s sanity. But in the hands of Libba Bray, every step of his madcap roadtrip to find Dr. X, a physicist who may be able to save his life, seems like it makes perfect sense.

Plain Fun: That quick, endearing read that charms you to no end.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: When Anna transfers to a French boarding school for her senior year of high school, her anxiety and homesickness soon disappear when she meets a group of friends, including the wonderful Etienne St. Clair. There’s just one problem–he’s taken. However, as Anna slowly gets to know Etienne and the two help each other through respective crises, their friendship slowly flirts with romance and the two circle ever nearer to each other. Stephanie Perkins’ writing is sparkling and witty, and the characters are charming and realistic. An endearing romance that just leaves you with the warm fuzzies.

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger. In three alternating narratives, the reader meets Tony Conigliaro (T.C.), a die-hard Red Sox fan who is crushing hard on the hard-to-get Ale; Ale, an ambassador’s daughter whose real passion is the stage; and Augie, a recently out of the closet musical theater fanatic who is developing his first crush on a boy. The three come together when they stage a school variety show and become involved in the life of a young deaf boy. Full of quirky, charming characters, this book stole my heart.